Male urinary incontinence may be caused by a variety of factors. It can occur, in varying degrees, in infant males not yet toilet trained, young boys suffering from nocturnal enuresis (bed wetting), men who have undergone a prostatectomy (surgical removal of the prostate) or other urinary tract surgeries, such as a cystectomy (surgical removal of the bladder), in diabetics with nerve damage, and in men who have had a stroke or spinal cord injury or who suffer from Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis. Aging is also a leading cause of male incontinence. Other causes include loss of control from such actions as coughing, sneezing, and lifting, and an abnormal and overwhelming urge to urinate caused, for example, by various bladder conditions such as exposure to radiation therapy. Finally, men who are handicapped or otherwise medically compromised may have problems with incontinence. Urinary incontinence can be more than an inconvenience and an embarrassment to men, it can cause discomfort from being in wet or damp clothing as well as genital itching or a rash or infection caused by contact with discharged urine.
Conventional absorbent devices to help manage male urinary incontinence include those which are positioned beneath undergarments and next to the genitals. Discharged urine is retained within an absorbent layer while a moisture barrier layer is interposed between the retained urine and the undergarments and other clothing. In this way, discharged urine is retained and not allowed to leak onto, or otherwise soil, clothing. In addition, the anxiety and potential embarrassment of being seen with soiled clothing is avoided. The used absorbent device is then later disposed of at an appropriate time. Such devices include diapers, which enclose the genitals, perineum, and buttocks, and pads, which enclose only the genital region.
While such absorbent devices may be effective in absorbing urine and preventing soiled clothing, a bulky or protruding appearance may call attention to the problem, the genitals may be allowed to come into contact with discharged urine and may become too warm, with resultant discomfort and the chance of rash or infection, and, the device may cause further discomfort by not remaining in place while allowing the wearer to move about freely and engage in normal daily activities.
Thus, there is a need for a male urinary incontinence device that is not only effective, but that fits the male genital anatomy comfortably, allows sufficient freedom of movement to permit normal daily activities, may be worn discretely, and that helps the genitals from becoming too warm and helps prevent the genitals from coming into contact with discharged urine.